Chelsea are also reported to be nearing a deal for Fluminense’s Brazilian right-back Wallace. According to the reports, the Blues implemented a clause in the sale of former player Deco to the Brazilian club to have the economic rights of the promising 18-year-old and after speculated interest in the player from Juventus and Napoli, the club will formerly acquire the player. The right-back’s arrival is unlikely to deter Chelsea from pursuing Cesar Azpilicueta from Marseille.
As Chelsea and Marseille struggle to reach a suitable fee for Azpilicueta, the Daily Mail speculates that the club could be prepared to include Gael Kakuta as part of the deal. The Frenchman has floundered at Chelsea since his controversial arrival from Lens but managed to impress on loan at Dijon last season. Marseille have been previously linked to the Frenchman and his inclusion could facilitate the transfer of Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Mirror reports that Chelsea are set to miss out on Porto’s Hulk after Zenit St Petersburg offered £40m, and Portuguese defender Bruno Alves, for the Brazilian forward. The Blues value the player at £30m and had hoped that receding from the negotiation table would prompt Porto to lower their estimation of the player but it appears Zenit are prepared to offer the desired amount.
Roberto Di Matteo almost has a full complement of players at his disposal as Juan Mata, Oriel Romeu, Ryan Bertrand and Daniel Sturridge all returned to training with the Blues following participation in the Olympics. Ryan Bertrand stated that the Olympics experience has helped his development as a player, learning from more experienced players such as Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy.
Frank Lampard is expected to be recalled to Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the friendly game against Italy next week after the player missed the European Championships due to injury. The 34-year-old has 90 caps for his country and Hodgson’s readiness to include Lampard is encouraging for the midfielder who might have feared the end of his international career with the start of a new qualification campaign. Daniel Sturridge and Gary Cahill are likewise predicted a call-up whilst Ashley Cole will be rested but it remains to be seen whether John Terry will be selected amidst a racism charge.
image: © klobetime
Tomo Taka
@tomo_taka1more stories from Tomo Taka
Tomo Taka is a young writer who seeks out insightful stories from the world of sport. He looks to analyse and speculate on relevant sporting topics and in doing so capture the story from a unique angle. Tomo's main interests are football, NFL and Formula One and he has a firm grasp of all other sports. As he makes his first forays into writing, he hopes he can entertain and interest the site's readership and offer a captivating view of the day's sporting stories.
The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire
Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain
.jpg){kind=link}